Mitochondrial mothers of a fat nation: Race, gender and epigenetics in obesity research on Mexican mestizos

This paper explores scientific and medical discourses on genetics and epigenetics in the context of the increasing rates of obesity and diabetes among Mexican mestizos. It draws on semi-structured interviews with 9 Mexican geneticists that are currently involved in genomic population or genomic medi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:BioSocieties 2018-06, Vol.13 (2), p.434-452
Main Author: Saldaña-Tejeda, Abril
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Body fat
Childhood obesity
Children
Cultural heritage
Diabetes
Diabetes mellitus
Discourses
Epigenetics
Females
Gender
Genetics
Genomics
Health status
Indigenous peoples
Maternal characteristics
Meaning
Medical research
Medicine
Mitochondria
Mothers
Multiracial people
Obesity
Original Article
Race
Social Sciences
Women
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Summary:This paper explores scientific and medical discourses on genetics and epigenetics in the context of the increasing rates of obesity and diabetes among Mexican mestizos. It draws on semi-structured interviews with 9 Mexican geneticists that are currently involved in genomic population or genomic medical research linked to diabetes and/or obesity and with 10 medical staff working directly or indirectly with the child obesity clinic at Federico Gómez Children’s Hospital in Mexico City. It looks briefly at scientific discourses that link the very high rates of obesity among Mexican mestizos to an alleged genetic predisposition seen as part of their indigenous heritage. The paper argues that this reinforces the gendered and racialized meanings of mestizaje (mixture) and the hierarchies that this biocultural construct has historically entailed. The paper then looks in depth at the tensions in epigenetic research on obesity, analysing the narratives of the geneticists and doctors interviewed. It shows how mothers are defined as the main channel for the epigenetic modification of bodies and generations, thus intensifying women’s maternal responsibilities for the health of the nation.
ISSN:1745-8552
1745-8560
DOI:10.1057/s41292-017-0078-8